How to Prevent Ingrown Facial Hair

This article was co-authored by Janice Litza, MD. Dr. Litza is a Board Certified Family Medicine Physician in Wisconsin. She is a practicing Physician and taught as a Clinical Professor for 13 years, after receiving her MD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health in 1998.

There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

Ingrown facial hair occurs when the sharp ends of hairs grow back into your skin after they have been removed with methods such as shaving, waxing or tweezing. When ingrown facial hair penetrates the skin, the area can become irritated and inflamed, causing pain, itchiness, and redness. There are several ways to prevent ingrown facial hair in addition to avoiding the process of hair removal.

Steps

Part One of Four:Using Your Cleansing Routine to Prevent Ingrown Facial Hairs

Wash your face every day. Ingrown hairs occur more frequently when you have dirty or oily skin, especially on your face. Wash your face every day with a mild cleanser to help prevent your pores from clogging and creating more ingrown facial hairs.

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Exfoliate your face regularly. Exfoliating will help clean away the dead skin cells that often end up clogging your pores and lead to more ingrown hairs. Depending on your skin type, you should be able to exfoliate your face up to three times per week.[1]

Moisturize your face daily. This will help keep your skin smooth and encourage hair growth in the right direction. The smoother your skin is, the less likely it will be for you to get ingrown hairs.[2]

Shave your face when the hair is already wet. Wash your skin no more than five minutes prior to shaving. This will help prevent more ingrown facial hairs because moist, wet hair will cut easier with less irritation to the skin or the follicle.[3][4]

Dry, tough hair sometimes digs sideways or retracts back into your skin when it is pulled upward from its follicle.

Choose the right kind of razor. If you want to use a regular razor instead of an electric one, use a single-blade razor instead of a double-blade razor. These kinds of razors will give you a closer shave with a smaller chance of developing ingrown facial hairs.[5]

Double-blade razors will cause the first blade to lift your hair, while the second blade cuts your hair at a deeper point.

Use sharp, clean razor blades. This will give you a straighter, more consistent cut when shaving. Doing so will also help prevent future ingrown facial hairs because hair that is cut consistently in the same way with sharp, sharp blades is less likely to turn into an ingrown hair.

Dull, dirty, and rusted blades may cause a bacterial infection if ingrown hairs or other cuts are already present.

Rinse your blade after each shaving stroke to clean shaving foam and hair pieces from the blade.

Shave each area of your skin once. This is an important step because repeating strokes in the same areas will result in shorter hairs which increase your chances of developing ingrown hairs. This is especially true regarding the delicate skin on your face.[7]

Shave methodically and carefully. This includes refraining from pulling your skin taut while shaving. This helps prevent the hairs from being cut too short. If you cut the hairs too short, they will be more likely to develop into ingrown hairs.[8]

Shave your hair in the same direction in which it grows. This will train the hair to grow straight out instead of sideways or back into the skin in addition to preventing it from being cut too short.

Use downward strokes on your upper lip, cheeks and chin and use upward strokes on your neck.

Use an electric razor. If you shave using an electric razor, it can help reduce the number of ingrown hairs you get on your face since an electric razor does not shave as close to the skin as regular blades.[9]

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Part Three of Four:Preventing Ingrown Facial Hairs While Waxing or Plucking

Relax your facial muscles. This is an important step to adhere to during the moment of hair removal. If your facial muscles are tense, it will be harder to remove the individual hairs because the follicles will constrict.

Perform the necessary aftercare. Apply cold water, aftershave, or witch hazel to your face immediately after hair removal. These elements will help soothe and repair your skin after plucking or waxing, especially since the skin on your face is so delicate.

Wait two to three hours after removing hair to apply cream or heavy moisturizers to your face.

Pluck the ingrown hair when you're able to. Ingrown hairs can lead to an infection, but at the very least they look bad and can become very tender or uncomfortable. This is especially troubling when they appear in noticeable places on your face.

Ingrown hairs need to come out. Once you notice an ingrown hair, stop shaving or waxing the area at once so that the hair has an opportunity to grow for a little bit. You should never break the skin or dig into it in order to reach an ingrown hair. Instead, you should let it come to the surface on its own so you don't do more damage to your skin. [11]

The safest way to extract an ingrown hair is by pulling it out with tweezers. However, you have to wait for the hair to reach the surface on its own before you can do so.

Apply a hot compress to the area a couple of times a day to encourage the hair to reach the surface.

Treat the irritated skin. Sometimes the worst part about an ingrown hair is how it looks, especially when it is on your face for the whole world to see. Ingrown hairs can really irritate and damage healthy skin. Treat the damaged skin with some soothing aloe vera or a gentle moisturizer.[12]

Get antibiotics. In rare cases, you may need to go see your doctor for some antibiotics if your ingrown facial hair becomes infected. Since the ingrown hair creates an opening in your skin, it is possible for bacteria to seep into the hole and cause an infection. Whenever you have an ingrown hair, you should be vigilant in watching for signs of redness, swelling, and discomfort that last more than a few days. If the pain and swelling does not dissipate within three to four days, call your doctor and tell them about your symptoms. [13]

I get bumps on my neck and face after waxing. Is there a way to avoid this?

Community Answer

Try applying baby oil or vaseline to the area immediately after waxing to remove excess wax and prevent ingrown hairs. You can also use a product containing salicylic acid (the active ingredient in many acne medications) in the next couple days after waxing to keep ingrown hairs at bay.

Tips

Some people are more prone to ingrown hairs. Hair that curls naturally or is coarse is more likely to re-enter the skin. Many African-Americans, Latinos, and people with thick or curly hair develop pseudofolliculitis, or razor bumps.[14]

About This Article

This article was co-authored by Janice Litza, MD. Dr. Litza is a Board Certified Family Medicine Physician in Wisconsin. She is a practicing Physician and taught as a Clinical Professor for 13 years, after receiving her MD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health in 1998.

To prevent ingrown facial hair, wash your face every day, since ingrown hairs are more likely to occur on oily or dirty skin. You should also exfoliate regularly, which will clear away the dead skin cells that would otherwise clog your pores. After washing your face, rub in a moisturizer to keep your skin smooth, which decreases the likelihood of ingrown hairs. When you shave, wash your face immediately before beginning, since wet hair cuts more easily and irritates the skin less. Once you’re ready to start, use a single blade rather than a double blade razor for a closer shave, which reduces the chance of ingrown hairs. If you’re planning on waxing your face, press a warm washcloth over it first to open the pores and prevent ingrown hairs.